Lesson 3: The Urgency of Evangelism

► Can a person be justified without hearing the gospel? Is the work of evangelism necessary?

In scripture we find examples of those reached by God’s grace without contact from either Israel or the church. Job was upright and rejected evil before Moses lived and before a page of scripture was written. Balaam was in relationship with God and was known as the seer who got messages from God without going into a trance. Abimelech acted more righteously than Abraham after Abraham thought, “Surely the fear of God is not in this place.” Romans 1:21-32 describes heathens who were in a depraved condition; it was not because they never knew of God, but because they rejected what they did know.[1]

“The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant” (Psalm 25:14). The covenant is the terms of God’s relationship with man, which requires a provision of grace since all have sinned. If a person reverences God fully, God will show him the way to come into relationship with him.

The Bible says there is salvation through no name but Jesus (Acts 4:12). However, the people who were saved in the Old Testament did not know the name of Jesus. They put their faith in God’s promise to provide redemption and forgiveness, and he provided it through Jesus. Similarly, people who have not yet heard the name of Jesus might trust God for salvation which he provides through Jesus.

So, what does it mean that salvation cannot come through any other name? It means that there is no alternative means of salvation. A person cannot be saved by some other plan of redemption. It also means that a person who does know about Jesus must not reject him, because to reject him would be to refuse salvation or look for some other means of salvation.

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). The Holy Spirit brings the light of Jesus even to those who have not heard of him.

Many people have received visions or other special revelation that brought them to God before they heard the gospel from a human messenger. For example, in modern times many Muslims are being converted after receiving a message from God.

► Have you heard of someone that received special communication from God before really understanding the gospel?

So, we see that it is possible for a person to find God and even be saved without hearing the gospel through human messengers. Yet, the Bible describes the gospel as a message that everyone urgently needs to hear.

The book of Romans describes the urgency of the gospel. The Apostle said that the gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). He said that he has an obligation to everyone, to take the gospel to them (Romans 1:14). He establishes the truth that we are justified with God simply by believing his promise to forgive (Romans 3:26, Romans 5:1).

Then comes the sense of urgency. He said, “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14). He said, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). God uses the gospel to create saving faith in hearers. The preaching of the gospel is God’s ordinary method of saving the lost.

If they can be saved without a messenger, why is a messenger so important?

[2]

[1] See also Psalm 19 and Romans 10:18.

[2] “In the vast plain to the North, I have sometimes seen in the morning sun the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been—villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world.”
- Robert Moffat

Missionary Steve Hight answered the question Why are missionaries needed? like this:

"The simple answer is that men, when they have seen the light, have rejected it. John 1:9 informs us that Jesus is the true light, who gives light to everyone. Paul declares that creation made God known (Romans 1:19-20) and that, even when men knew God, they did not honor him as God (Romans 1:21). John assesses the situation like this: 'And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light' (John 3:19). Man’s depraved heart prefers the darkness. Because of its deceitfulness and desperate wickedness (Jeremiah 17:9), the sinful heart turns from God."

"Therefore, missionaries must take the light again! The God of second chances sends his ambassadors with the flaming torch of the gospel to turn them from darkness to light (Acts 26:18)."

When Jesus sent the disciples to preach the gospel, he said that if a city would not accept their message, they should shake the dust off of their shoes as they left the city. He said that the dust would be a testimony against them at the judgment. The dust from their shoes was proof that a messenger of the gospel had been to their city. Those who reject the gospel receive worse judgment than those who never heard it. Jesus said they would be judged more severely than the people from Sodom. This tells us that the gospel brings a great advantage to those who hear it (Mark 6:11).

Pastor Eric Himelick answered the question Why are missionaries needed? with this explanation:

"We send missionaries because the gospel message is best communicated relationally. The gospel truth is not a set of impersonal facts about God or religious belief boxes to be checked; it is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. Missionaries are ambassadors for Christ, his message, and his ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20)."

"Missionaries are needed because without direct, relational communication of the gospel message, most will be lost. We don’t want to believe that people are being lost because of our inaction, but Romans 10:13-15 is clear: 'How are they to hear without someone preaching?' The sad truth is, they won’t. Sending and supporting missionaries is imperative. Hoping that God will do for us the work that he has called us to do isn’t a solution. God has given us the Great Commission; and to whom much is given, much is required. We send missionaries in response to God’s grace and in faith that God is at work in his world drawing people to his great heart."

The gospel is the effective means that God has designed for saving the lost. It is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). Let’s consider this question again: If a person can be saved without hearing the gospel, why should we send missionaries? Let’s consider some similar questions. If a person can be saved without my prayers, why should I pray for him? If a person can be saved without hearing the gospel more than once, why should we tell him again? If a person can be saved without the church, why should we have churches? The obvious answer is, “Yes, he can be saved, but it is much less likely.” These are means that God has designed for saving people. [1]

The Word of God is the tool used by the Holy Spirit to bring unbelievers to God. The Bible even says that people are born again by the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23, 25).

Missionaries find almost nobody who was saved before hearing the gospel. The fact that God will save a sincere person without the gospel shows his fairness, but it does not justify our neglect of the ordinary means he has designed. In general, those who do not hear the gospel will be lost. “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16).

► A student should read Matthew 9:35-38 for the group.

Jesus had strong compassion for the needs of people. He was busy preaching and healing.

Jesus was most concerned about the spiritual needs of people. He wanted them to repent and know God. In this passage, we read that Jesus looked at the crowds of people and felt strong compassion for their spiritual needs. He saw that they were like sheep without a shepherd. He also compared the ministry to the work of a harvest, and he grieved that there were few workers.

Jesus gave his disciples a prayer request. He told them to pray that God would send workers into the harvest.

► Why did Jesus tell the disciples to pray this prayer? Surely God wants to do this whether we pray or not, right?

When we pray that God will send workers, we are praying according to the will of God. Because of this, we know that God will answer our prayer.

There is another reason believers should pray this prayer. Jesus wanted his disciples to share his compassion and share in his mission to evangelize. If they prayed this prayer often, they would begin to care strongly about the harvest. They would desire to participate in the work and persuade others to also.

We should desire to care about the same things Jesus cared about. We should pray the prayer he gave to the disciples, so that it can have the same effect for us.

[1] The population of the world has been over seven billion since 2011. More than 153,000 people die each day, but the population of the world still increases 220,000 each day. More than 100 people die every minute. More than 1,000 have died since you started reading this lesson. How many of them heard the gospel before they died?

A team of missionaries went to preach in a prison camp. There were thousands of prisoners, and most of them were murderers and terrorists. The missionaries preached on a platform outdoors. Around the platform, guards with guns were posted to protect them. At the end of the gospel sermon, the preacher asked if any of the prisoners would like to come forward to receive a New Testament. 30 men came forward.

A few weeks later the missionaries visited the camp again. Before the service, the warden told them that all 30 of the men who took New Testaments had been killed by the other prisoners. The missionaries preached the gospel again, and at the end they, again, offered to give a New Testament to anyone who would come forward. 300 men came forward. They knew that 30 men had died for responding to the gospel, but because the gospel was valuable to them, they were willing to risk their lives. They realized the value of the message they had heard.

(1) Write a few sentences to answer each of these two questions. Is there any opportunity for salvation for a person who never hears the gospel? Why should we send missionaries and evangelists?

(2) Read the book of Jonah. Notice the urgency of a messenger of the gospel. What was God’s concern in this story? What were Jonah’s concerns? Write 1-2 pages (450-800 words) of your observations.